1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to holders for fishing rods, and more particularly, to a fishing rod holder for insertion into the earth.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Presently, several fishing rod holders which are supported by insertion into the earth are known. These fishing rod holders provide various means for engaging a portion of the fishing rod. The primary drawback of known devices is the difficulty to insert the spike portions thereof into the earth. Frequently the rods are smooth and provide no sufficient area for gripping. Devices known which do provide a grip are relatively ineffective when the spike is inserted in hard ground. As a result the fishing rod holders may become easily damaged during insertion or may injure the user as a result of an accident occurring during insertion.
Devices presently known in the prior art include the combined fishing rod holder and signal device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,560,969 issued to D. W. Fleeman on Feb. 2, 1971. This device is a combined fishing rod holder and signal means which provides the fisherman with an apparatus which holds his fishing rod for him, the device being swivelly mounted on a stake or the like driven into a bank close to the water or mounted on a boat while fishing from a boat, the device having means which will signal the fisherman that a fish is biting or is caught on the hook and line by a visible signal light, an audible sound signal, or by both at the same time, the device being positioned so as to swivel on the support stake, allowing the fisherman at night to determine the direction in which the fish is biting on the line so that the fisherman may manipulate his rod and set the hook in a fish's mouth. Alternately, the support stake can be fitted into a bracket or clamp fastened to a boat. When this device is employed by insertion into the earth this action is facilitated by a footrest fixedly secured to a side of the stake. If the footrest is employed to facilitate insertion of the stake in hard earth, and pressure is applied thereon the stake may accidentally slip and injure the user as a result of the applied force not being directly above the longitudinal axis of the stake.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,834,057 issued to E. F. Jansa on Sept. 10, 1974 discloses a fishing rod holder having a standard and an insert mountable on a fishing rod for selectively engaging the standard. The insert is preferably in the shape of a hyperboloid of one sheet having parallel bases of different areas, and is secured on a reel mounting portion of the handle of a fishing rod by a bolt passing through an opening provided in the handle portion and engaging a threaded hole in the insert. A socket is provided on the standard for matingly receiving the insert, the base of smallest area first; the insert and socket may be advantageously provided with longitudinally extending splines and grooves, respectively, for preventing sway while permitting a rod to be rigidly held extending in any desired direction. To facilitate insertion of the standard into the ground pressure may be applied to the socket thereof. The socket provides an inadequate surface for contacting the foot of a user. This presents an unnecessary safety hazard if the standard is to be inserted into hard ground and the weight of the user must be placed thereagainst.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,862,508 issued to J. C. Morgan on Jan. 28, 1975 discloses a fishing pole holder which includes a support member arranged for being secured in a stationary position and provides a pole holding arm pivotally secured thereon. An alarm is activated by pivotal movement of the arm to an alarm actuating position. An arrangement is provided for resiliently biasing the arm when holding a pole in a selected at rest position which arrangement is preferably adjustable to permit setting of the amount of pull on a fishline necessary to actuate the alarm. The arm may have a slideable plate thereon to support a reel on the pole being held. A footplate is provided and is fixedly secured to the support member. As in the Fleeman Patent, foot pressure placed on this foot plate may cause the support member thereof to skid along the ground as a result of the force not being applied directly above the longitudinal axis of the support. This situation may lead to injury of the user aside from frustration in inserting the support member and possible separation of the foot plate therefrom.
The present invention overcomes the problems associated with the prior art by providing a fishing rod holder having means to facilitate the insertion of the spike portion thereof into the ground positively, without the risk of injury to the user.